The new cultivar was originated from a cross made in a controlled breeding program in Ter Aar, Holland. The female or seed parent was a selection from proprietary breeding stock designated the "Butterfly family" while the male or pollen parent was a selection from proprietary breeding stock designated the "P" family. `Peter's White` was discovered and selected by the inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Ter Aar, Holland. First asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings was in December 1994. Subsequent asexual reproduction by cuttings of the new cultivar as performed by applicant at Ter Aar, Holland, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations.
`Peter's White` has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length, without only change in the genotype of the plant. The following observations, measurements and values describe the new cultivar as grown in Ter Aar, Holland under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice.
The new cultivar is most similar to `Milka` , U.S. Plant Patent application Ser. No. 8/664,519) `Karmijn` U.S. Plant Patent application Ser. No. 8/664,520, and `Parade` U.S. Plant Patent application Ser. No. 8/664,669, each of the cultivars has a similar number of ray florets and type of flower head. The following Table provides several phenotypic characteristics that can be used to distinguish the aster varities `Parade`, `Milka`, `Karmijn`, and `Peter's White`.
______________________________________ Capi- Ray Florets tulum Diam- Diam- Color Length eter eter (RHS) (mm) (mm) (mm) Shape ______________________________________ `Parade` Purple (87A) 11-13 1.8 28-30 Funnel-shaped, Long `Milka` Violet (85A) 14-16 2.0 24-27 Cylindrical, Very Long `Karmijn` Purple-Violet 12-15 2.0 26-29 Campanulate, (81B) Medium Length `Peter's White (155B) 11-13 2.0 26-30 Cylindrical, White` Very Long ______________________________________